1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle seat which is provided with a container holder which holds a container, such as a can, a PET bottle, a cup or the like for drinks.
2. Description of Related Art
The interior of a vehicle or the like is provided with a container holder which is the so-called cup holder for holding a can or the like for drinks. The container holder comprises a base member extending vertically and a saucer member for holding a bottom surface of the container. For example, the saucer member is connected to a front surface of the base member through a hinge on which the saucer member is turnable up and down. When the saucer member is housed or closed, the saucer member is approximately parallel to the base member. On the other hand, when the passenger or occupant opens and levels off the saucer member in order to use the container holder, the saucer member is brought into contact with a stopper which is integrally formed with the base member. Thereby, the saucer member is maintained in an approximately horizontal position.
Such a container holder may be attached to a vehicle seat for the passenger to sit in. When the container holder is attached to the vehicle seat, while a back surface of the base member is brought into contact with an attachment portion of the vehicle seat, a fixing member or a fastening member, such as a vis, a screw or a bolt, is got through the base member from the front surface to the back surface of the base member, and then screwed into the attachment portion of the vehicle seat or fastened thereto. However, because the saucer member is connected to the front surface of the base member, the screwing or fastening of a plurality of the fixing members is difficult in the whole area of the front surface of the base member. That is, because the saucer member overlap with a portion of the base member, the saucer member interferes the screwing or fastening.
Thus, the fixing member is screwed in or fastened to only a portion to which the saucer member is not connected, that is, a portion which is not interfered by the saucer member. In this case, however, the container holder is not stably attached to the vehicle seat.
The present invention was developed in view of the above-described problem. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle seat having a container holder which is stably attached to the vehicle seat even if a base member is not fixed to the vehicle seat in the whole area of the base member. Another abject of the present invention is to provide such a container holder.
In order to accomplish the above-described object, in one aspect of the present invention, a vehicle seat having a container holder comprises a container holder. The container holder comprises a base member extending vertically, and a saucer member supported to a lower portion of a front surface of the base member. The saucer member is turnable up and down on the lower portion of the front surface of the base member and capable of turning from a standing position to a horizontal position which is approximately horizontal such that a container can be placed on the saucer member. The vehicle seat having a container holder further comprises a seat body in which a passenger sits, and a side member attached to a side portion of the seat body. An upper portion of the base member is secured to a front surface of the side member. A first penetrating opening which penetrates the base member from the front surface to a back surface is formed in a lower portion of the base member. A second penetrating opening which penetrates the side member from the front surface to a back surface is formed in a lower portion of the side member. The saucer member comprises a bar-like member projecting from the saucer member which is held in the horizontal position toward the base member. When the saucer member is held in the standing position, the bar-like member penetrates the first penetrating opening and the second penetrating opening and is hooked on the back surface of the side member.
According to the vehicle seat having a container holder, when the saucer member turns from the horizontal position to the standing position, the bar-like member moves to the side of the back surface of the side member through the first penetrating opening and the second penetrating opening, and then is hooked on the lower portion of the side member. Since the saucer member which is supported to the lower portion of the base member has the bar-like member, when the bar-like member is hooked on the lower portion of the side member, the lower portion of the base member is supported by the side member. Thus, when the saucer member is held in the standing position, the upper portion of the base member is secured to the side member, while the lower portion of the base member is supported by the side member. Therefore, the container holder is stably installed in the seat body to which the side member is attached.
When the saucer member is held in the standing position, if the passenger accidentally pulls the base member away from the side member, moment is not applied against the base member with respect to the upper portion of the base member, because the bar-like member is hooked on the lower portion of the side member. The upper portion of the base member is the place where the base member is secured to the side member. Thus, the load is not concentrated in the upper portions of the base member and the side member. Therefore, even if the passenger accidentally pulls the base member, the breakage of the base member and the side member is prevented. On the other hand, when the saucer member is held in the horizontal position, the container is placed on the saucer member. The saucer member is supported to or connected with the lower portion of the base member, so that moment is applied against the base member with respect to the upper portion of the base member by the weight of the container. However, this moment is applied in the direction that the lower portion of the base member is pressed against the side member, so that the load is not concentrated in the upper portion of the base member, and the base member is firmly secured to the side member. Therefore, the container holder is stable with respect to the seat body to which the side member is attached.
The side member may have a flat area in the back surface of the side member, while the bar-like member may have a flat surface in an edge portion of the bar-like member. When the saucer member is held in the standing position, the bar-like member may be hooked on the back surface of the side member while the flat surface may abut with the flat area.
According to the vehicle seat having a container holder, the flat surface in the edge portion of the bar-like member may abut with the flat area in the back surface of the side member, so that the bar-like member may stably be hooked on the back surface of the side member when the saucer member is held in the standing position.
A recess portion may be formed in the side member. The base member may be disposed on a bottom surface of the recess portion and secured to the side member. When the saucer member is held in the standing position, the saucer member may be disposed in the recess portion such that a front surface of the saucer member may be flush with the front surface of the side member.
According to the vehicle seat having a container holder, the base member may be secured to the bottom surface of the recess portion formed in the side member, and the saucer member is turnably supported to the lower portion of the base member. Therefore, when the saucer member turns from the horizontal position to the standing position, the base member may stand between the side member and the saucer member. When the saucer member is held in the standing position, because the saucer member may be disposed in the recess portion, the saucer member and the base member may be housed in the recess portion. Furthermore, since the front surface of the saucer member may be flush with the front surface of the side member, the saucer member may neatly be housed in the recess portion and the saucer member may not interfere with the operation or view of the passenger.
The side member may be attached to a side portion of a seat bottom of the seat body, so that the container holder may be disposed in a side of the seat bottom.
According to the vehicle seat having a container holder, the container holder may be disposed in the side of the seat bottom, so that the container placed on the saucer member may be disposed in a range where the passenger who sits in the seat bottom can get at the container. Therefore, vehicle seat having a container holder, which is easy to use may be provided. That is, the passenger can place the container on the saucer member or pick up the container placed on the saucer member without changing his position.
With the vehicle seat having a container holder, the base member may be provided with a first engaging portion which may be disposed in the first penetrating opening, while the bar-like member may comprise a second engaging portion which engages with the first engaging portion to hold the saucer member in the horizontal position. At least one of the first engaging portion and the second engaging portion may have flexibility. When at least one of the first engaging portion and the second engaging portion bends, engagement between the first engaging portion and the second engaging portion may be released such that the saucer member may turn downward from the horizontal position.
According to the vehicle seat having a container holder, when the saucer member is held in the horizontal position, the first engaging portion may engage with the second engaging portion, holding the saucer member in the horizontal position. If an excessive load is applied to the saucer member which is held in the horizontal position in the direction of turning downward because of, for example, carelessness of the passenger, the first engaging portion or the second engaging portion may bend because of its flexibility. Thus, the engagement between the first engaging portion and the second engaging portion may be released, so that the saucer member can turn downward further. Therefore, the first engaging portion and the second engaging portion may not receive the excessive shearing force, so that the first engaging portion and the second engaging portion may not be broken. As a result, heightening of the rigidity of the first engaging portion or the second engaging portion may not be required, and thus thickening of the wall thickness of the first engaging portion or the second engaging portion may not be required for improving the rigidity. Therefore, the enlargement of the container holder may be prevented.
With the vehicle seat having a container holder, an energizing member may be disposed between the base member and the saucer member. The energizing member may energize the saucer member so that the saucer member may turn from the standing position to the horizontal position. The base member may comprise an engaging portion for standing position, which is capable of engaging with the saucer member such that the saucer member is held in the standing position.
According to the vehicle seat having a container holder, the energizing member may energize the saucer member so that the saucer member may turn from the standing position to the horizontal position, thus the horizontal position of the saucer member may be maintained under normal conditions. When the passenger or the like turns the saucer member from the horizontal position to the standing position against the energizing member, the engaging portion for standing position may engage with the saucer member, so that the standing position of the saucer member may be maintained.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a container holder comprises a base member extending vertically, in which a first penetrating opening which penetrates the base member from a front surface to a back surface is formed in a lower portion of the base member. An upper portion of the base member is adapted to be secured to a front surface of a side member which is attached to a side portion of a vehicle seat body. The container holder also comprises a saucer member supported to a lower portion of a front surface of the base member. The saucer member is turnable up and down on the lower portion of a front surface of the base member and capable of turning from a standing position to a horizontal position which is approximately horizontal such that a container can be placed on the saucer member. The saucer member comprises a bar-like member projecting from the saucer member which is held in the horizontal position toward the base member. When the saucer member is held in the standing position, the bar-like member penetrates the first penetrating opening and is adapted to penetrate a second penetrating opening which is formed in a lower portion of the side member. The bar-like member is also adapted to be hooked on a back surface of the side member.